IDTooLong Reviews

Iron Man 2 (2010)

Iron movie

[7/10 · 8 September 2010]

IM2 is a good movie on it's own merit. The movie is based on a comic and you should therefore not expect too much of this movie. It's a fun action movie. What works for this movie is the witty dialogue, spectacular visuals and the overall fun feel of the movie. What one might say doesn't work for this movie is the pretty formulaic story, the forgettable characters (with the exception of a few) and a plot that can be ripped to pieces under scrutiny. So would you like this movie? Yes, if you're not critical and are just looking for an entertaining movie that doesn't take itself serious. Also the violence in this movie isn't extreme (with the exception of a few scenes) so kids can watch this movie under the guidance of their parents. 7/10

Jesse Stone: No Remorse (2010 TV Movie)

You'll have no remorse for choosing this movie

[8/10 · 8 September 2010]

Jesse Stone: No Remorse is a movie that chooses substance over style. The movie stays away from tons of action scenes, impressive camera angles and CGI. Instead this is a movie with a story that actually focuses on the story (consisting mainly of dialogue). The movie is labeled as a crime/mystery but personally I would label it more as a drama centering around burned out detective Stone's life and his interactions with other interesting characters in his small town, and a subplot about the solving of a couple of murder cases and robberies. The subplot isn't as thorough though. Therefore I advice people that are going to watch this movie to not expect to watch a complex 'whodunit' movie. I haven't seen the previous installments of the Jesse Stone series but I can say that in the way this movie was presented I was able to follow the plot. I must say this movie did raise my curiosity, so I might watch the other Jesse Stone movies. I'm not much of a television viewer, let alone a television film viewer. I was very surprised to see how good this movie is. I found this to be better than a lot of movies I watched in the cinema recently. The intriguing dialogue and good acting makes this charming little film a worthwhile experience. 8/10

The Expendables (2010)

Expendable movie saved by an unexpendable cast

[6/10 · 31 August 2010]

A movie with an all-star cast, what can go wrong? The movie plays out like a typical 90's action movie: guns, a larger than life hero (or multiple like in The Expendables) , high body count , explosions, and a very beautiful women that's on the side of the hero. Is the Expendables a good movie? Only if you don't set your expectations too high. Yes you could expect more for a movie with so many stars, yet we all kind of knew this wouldn't be more then a glorified shoot em' up flick. The expendables would definitely be rated lower if there were only no name actors playing in this. But then again the star cast adds to the charm and what is also a major plus is that the movie never takes itself too seriously. I loved all the little jokes. So ultimately The Expendables is a guilty pleasure. Preferably, The expendables should be watched with a group of friends and a lot of beer. 6/10.

Bear (I) (2010)

Unbearable

[4/10 · 31 August 2010]

What can I say? This movie starts out good but after 45 minute it turns into a movie full of flaws. The camera-work was troublesome from the start but one could look over that since it's obviously a low budget film. The acting started out good, the tension was build up nicely, the plot was convincing but for some strange reason all kind of weird flaws popped up halfway trough. Main problem with the movie is botchy filmmaking. The viewer is pulled out of the movieworld and confronted with behind the scenes stuff like seeing some of the film-crew and inconsistent environments. This was totally preventable and shows how lazy this movie was put together. But that isn't the only problem: the plot also turns into laughable trash that is best suited as snooze material than an actual horror movie that pumps up the adrenaline. Maybe it was just me but I noticed that the actors involved couldn't squeeze out some of the absurd lines convincingly in the second half of he movie. This movie is not really interesting unless you're suffering from insomnia. 4/10

The Experiment (2001)

The experiment succeeded

[10/10 · 31 August 2010]

At least it did on the screen. The story behind this movie isn't as charming. I must note that Das Experiment caught my attention after I recently watched the remake of this movie (The Experiment). After being disappointed with that movie (but somewhat fascinated by the matter) I read that the original is much better. And the critics weren't wrong. Das Experiment is the total package. A movie with depth, realism and great directing and acting. The movie makes you think. The tension build up. Nothing feels forced. We are sucked into the movie and feel like we're dealing with real people and real behavior. No silly copouts or plot holes. A movie about human nature, group-dynamics; what will happen when you put a group of people (all with very different personalities) in a small, stressful environment for a long period of time.. All around a great and quite brutal movie about human nature. 10/10

Surviving Disaster (2009– )

Top notch survival TV

[10/10 · 26 August 2010]

I'm not much of a television viewer (aside from the news) but I loyally watched all the episodes of Surviving disaster. Surviving Disaster is a kickass show. The show deals with modern day, worst case scenario's a person can find himself/herself stuck in, and what you should do to survive. The show is presented in the form of a simulation (plus some interviews with experts and victims on experiences and the why question). Surviving disaster is presented by Navy SEAL Cade Courtley, who is in a crisis situation along with the viewer and gives 'real-time' feedback on what you should do. Likes been said in the other reviews I also found this style of televisionmaking pretty interesting because the host makes you feel the tension of the situation and the urge to react quickly.

The show deals with matters as home invasions (and kidnapping), plane hijacking, fire, mall shootings, hurricanes, earthquakes, pandemics etc. You'll learn the craziest stuff like how to make weapons, how to take down an enemy, how to manipulate basically anything in your environment to your advantage, and the show even teaches you how to safely take down a plane !

I have never seen a program that deals with these topics in such a fascinating way. If you don't want to watch the show for learning ways to increase your survival wits, it's entertaining enough just to see it for the crazy scenario's. The old episodes can still be watched for free on the website of Spike TV. Top notch show. 10/10

The Experiment (2010)

Good concept but never really becomes compelling

[6/10 · 21 August 2010]

The Experiment has an intriguing premise. Human behavior, group dynamics; what will happen when you put a group of people (all with very different personalities) in a small, stressful environment for a long period of time. As this is a straight to DVD movie it surprisingly has a good cast and doesn't suffer from small budget diseases.

The Experiment has the potential of being a great movie but never reaches it's full potential. To me it felt like certain events were rushed. This could be by the lack of explanation of the motives and the background of certain characters. Ultimately, The Experiment is watchable but forgettable. 6/10

Martyrs (2008)

Martyrs tortures and horrifies the viewer

[10/10 · 20 August 2010]

Martyrs is a horrific movie. Being this movie is a horror movie, that is actually a good thing. It's been a while since I have had such an unsettling time watching a horror movie. Martyrs never takes the easy way out. This is as brutal and realistic as a horror movie gets. The concept is pretty unique and even makes the viewer raise philosophical questions.

This is a movie that should be in every horror movie fans collection. It is quite brutal, some might even say the violence is unnecessary . The brutal violence never stops. Its recommended to stay away from this movie if you dislike seeing a lot of violence on the screen. Still, as one defines the horror genre, Martyrs is definitely high on the list of being one of the most horrific horror movies ever made. In that respect Martyrs is a classic. 10/10

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010)

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is fun time

[6/10 · 20 August 2010]

In this visually stunning fantasy-ride we follow Dastan in ancient Persia. PoP is a fun popcorn movie that is capable of entertaining a bored person for 2 hours. This movie doesn't aim to be historically correct nor does it take itself too seriously. Yes, events do happen in the convenience of moving the plot forward. But to be fair, PoP is an adventure film aimed at the younger crowd . And in that respect PoP does do a decent job of making a movie with great visuals, humor, creative fight scenes and an overall fun storyline.

I haven't done a deep analysis on how true it stays to the video game, but it was cool to recognize elements of the video game (been a while since I've played it). Although this is a movie released by Disney, people do get killed (no blood is shown). Best advised to follow the PG-13 rating. 6/10

Salt (2010)

Salt doesn't leave a bitter taste in your mouth

[7/10 · 19 August 2010]

Salt is a fast paced action movie with a storyline we've all seen before. Yet this movie manages to deliver the story in a clever way, with the viewer never losing interest in the movie. This movie shouldn't be over-analyzed. It has big explosions, bullets flying left and right, and lots of fight-scenes. This isn't always realistic, but I don't find it fair to criticize this movie for that because it was never aimed to be fully realistic.

Also I've never seen a movie with Angelina Jolie. I'm not particularly a fan and for some reason I wanted to stay away from this movie because shes in it. Don't be fooled. She held this movie together perfectly, and comes of believable as a strong woman that can take on anyone. 7/10

Captivity (2007)

It's OK

[6/10 · 10 July 2007]

Larry Cohen is an established writer with some great scripts under his belt. Unfortunately Captivity isn't one of them. Captivity is predictable, dialogue is OK, clichéd,Saw substitute, has plot holes, a lot of events seem to happen in the convenience of wrapping up the story. Like most movies Captivity starts out good but crumbles near the end. Not everyone can enjoy this movie. Some might feel hustled out of their money. Other might feel they're level of intelligence is being mocked. And others might experience both feelings at the same time. Captivity is an OK movie and I'm being generous saying that. If you're able to look over the flaws this movie has and just enjoy the ride then this movie will entertain you. If you're looking for a movie with the total package, meaning an intelligent, nerve-wrecking story that keeps you guessing then this movie probably isn't for you.

6/10